C-218 debated in Parliament

Paul Tuns:

On Dec. 5, the House of Commons debated C-218, Tamara Jansen’s private member’s bill that would put an end to the planned March 2027 expansion of euthanasia to people suffering solely from mental illness.

C-218, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying), if passed, would explicitly exclude mental illness as a “grievous and irremediable medical condition” that qualifies patients for Medical Assistance in Dying.

During Second Reading, Jansen (Conservative, Cloverdale-Langley City) explained the rational for C-218: “People facing mental illness can end up alone, waiting months, or sometimes years, for specialized treatment, and when help does not come, they lose hope,” and “That moment of hopelessness should never be treated as an opportunity for the state to end their lives through MAiD.”

Jansen said that compassion dictates the health care system provides help to treat mental illness, not expedite a patient’s desire to die. She said that already the system is open to abuse and allowing the killing of mentally ill patients would exacerbate the problem. “If the system cannot uphold basic protections now, it will not and cannot protect those suffering from severe psychological distress,” said Jansen. “An expansion would be reckless.”

Bloc Quebecois MP Claude DeBellefeuille (Beauharnois-Salaberry-Soulangers-Huntingdon) said that the provision of mental health is a provincial responsibility and said Jansen “misled the public” by stating that “the law allows for medical assistance in dying when major mental illness is the sole underlying disorder” although he stated that the law permitting euthanasia for mental illness will come into effect in 2027. He admitted, “Everyone knows that the medical community is not ready and will probably not be ready in 2027 to decide on this thorny issue.” He was opposed to Jansen’s speech and her bill.

In his second comments about C-218, DeBellefeuille said that the Bloc “will not be supporting Bill C-218” because “it is not up to a political party to decide whether to implement a medical assistance in dying procedure for people with mental health issues.” He said it was a “societal” and “clinical” debate, not a political one. He again reiterated that “there is no clinical or scientific consensus on how to regulate consent for MAiD from a person whose only medical problem is a serious mental health disorder.”

Nova Scotia Liberal MP Alana Hirtle (Cumberland-Colchester) said that her father “opted for medical assistance in dying” after suffering “four different types of cancer over five years” and that she “supported his choice” and “the process as it took place.” Her intervention never addressed the issue of mental illness.

Ontario Liberal MP Juanita Nathan (Pickering-Brooklin) highlighted several expert groups that have come out in favour of MAiD for mental illness, ignoring the fact that the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, as well as the chairs of psychiatry at all 17 Canadian medical schools have opposed the expansion, before concluding that she looked forward to the coming debate.

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada described the Liberal comments: “They gave a ‘wait and see’ message, pointing to a joint committee on MAiD for mental illness that will be formed in February to study the issue.”

Former Interim columnist and Conservative MP Andrew Lawton (Elgin-St. Thomas-London South) talked about his own suicide attempt 15 years ago, which led him to be hospitalized for seven weeks: “It was the culmination of a very dark time in my life that spanned many years, a time in which I felt at multiple times, although not as seriously as I did that horribly dark and sad December day in 2010, that I would be better off dead than alive.”

Lawton said that he could, in those dark times, imagine “that I could ever have the life I have now” including a career in journalism, becoming an MP, and getting married. He said things might have turned out very differently, for the worse, in 2010, if he could have had “not only the state’s permission but the state’s help” to end his life. Lawton emphasized, “to make it personal, because it is personal, if the laws that are coming into force in 15 months had been there 15 years ago, I would probably be dead right now,” adding, “I say that with full gratitude that I am not.”

He described how a person’s mental illness “plays tricks on them” and distorts “the person’s ability to see clearly and think clearly about what they are in the midst of,” because “it clouds their judgement.”

Lawton said that the debate over C-218 is a “life-and-death” issue about “real people” as he shared stories of people who struggled with depression and are happy that they are alive today.

Pro-life and religious groups have urged supporters and members to contact their MPs to ask them to vote in favour of C-218. The EFC said, “The Liberals have not taken a strong position for or against the bill, which may mean that there is room for them to change their position.”

In October, the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition held a press conference in support of C-218. EPC president Gordon Friesen insisted, “No euthanasia for mental illness.” He explained that when euthanasia was first legalized in 2016, it was only supposed to be for people who “were dying” and who could “freely choose.” He said, “unfortunately all of those promises have been broken.”

Friesen said, “What fuels support for MAiD is not that people believe that some patients should die,” but that patients should be allowed to make “free, informed, competent and adult choices.” He explained, “euthanasia for the mentally ill does not fit that description” because “the symptoms of mental illness often make that sort of choice impossible.”

Campaign Life Coalition campaigns manager David Cook urged supporters to tell their MPs to vote against C-218, saying, “It may even save the life of a neighbour, friend, or family member.”

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